Hi and welcome back to the Chrissie Murphy Designs Blog. I’m moving on to the next fragment in the Magnified Fragments project today. Today we are looking at Fragment A2 using Rounding as an Enhancer. So let’s get into it and I’ll fill you in on all you need to know.
Now before we go any further – I have a disclaimer I’d like to share. I have signed up to be an Affiliate for Amazon Australia. It means that I get a small percentage from the sale of anything you may purchase through links I use in my blog. Just want you to know before we get into today’s post.
The Expressive Bits
First up, what is the Magnified Fragments Project?
Well in short, it’s the biggest zentangle project I have ever undertaken! I will be working my way through every fragment in the Zentangle Collection of Reticula and Fragments book, putting them under the microscope to magnify them.
And I will also be using a different Zentangle Enhancer for each Fragment to thoroughly explore each enhancement technique in depth.
I have longed to undertake a serious project for some time and have been praying for guidance in this area. There are 49 fragments in the book, so this project will take me through to the end of the year, and then some.
By undertaking this project, I am praying you will be encouraged. I hope to renew interest in fragments and enhancers as we visit components that may not have been used in a while.
But most importantly, I welcome you to join me – you can join in and follow using the hashtag #MagnifiedFragments. You can also view all of the Fragments everyone has completed in the Magnified Fragments Gallery.
What is Fragment A2 using Rounding as an Enhancer?
Here is a close of Fragment A2 from the Zentangle Collection of Reticula and Fragments book by Zentangle founders, Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas.
I have created a tile using this fragment as my string. In doing so, I effectively magnified it.
I used Rounding as the enhancer. Rounding is a core enhancer technique where you darken and round the corners where tangles meet or intersect. It softens a tile.
I chose the following tangles for Fragment A2 using Rounding as an enhancer:
- Printemps by Zentangle as it’s naturally rounded, yet when intersected provides opportunity for additional rounding.
- Scallops by Suzanne McNeill. It was another pattern that is naturally rounded, so I thought it would work well for the fragment.
- And a variation of Paradox by Zentangle as it is a pattern you can fall into as a centre.
- I also used striping to add contrast.
What does it mean in terms of my artistic work as a whole?
This fragment focused on Rounding as an enhancer. Rounding has never been a technique I’ve really adopted, even though it’s such a core technique for zentangling! So why haven’t I gotten into it?
These are some of the things I hope to investigate and explore further as we embrace different enhancer techniques throughout this project. Why don’t I use them? Can I begin to use them more? How can I alter or modify them etc etc?
I want to open myself up to new techniques and bring more of them into my tangling. It’s so easy to get caught up in what’s comfortable and easy…. but I don’t want to live in that place. I want to be continually adapting and growing as an artist. And investigating the beliefs I have about enhancers is a great way to do this.
How can you take this idea and be more Expressive?
During this project I’d ask you to keep yourself accountable too. Ask yourself why you tangle the way you do? Really delve into the different enhancer techniques and explore the results of them on your tangling.
Do you like what they bring to your tangling?
Were they an easy enhancement or are they going to be too difficult to continue to use?
Do they add to your tangling or take away from it?
Will you use them in the future? And if so, how will you use them?
This project is the perfect opportunity to grow in your craft. I encourage you to make the most of the opportunity.
The Factual Bits
The materials used
- Zentangle Traditional Tile
- Uniball Signo Gel pens in varying colours
- Prismacolor Premier Coloured Pencils in varying colours
- Grey Copic Markers in C4, C5 and C7
- Derwent Intense pencils I’ve varying colours.
How big is Fragment A2 using Rounding as an enhancer?
It is 4 inches x 4 inches square.
Want to be more Expressive?
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Until next time, listen to your heart and sharpen your coloured pencils. A masterpiece awaits!
Bless you my friend
Chrissie xx
